We first met Mark at the check in at the airport. He stood out a little as every one else was with a partner or family. I felt sorry for him so struck up a conversation.
“Hi, is this your first cruse?” I asked
“Yes, how about you two?” he replied and after a few moments of small talk continued to explain how his wife at the very last minute refused to fly out to Italy to pick up the ship.
It was their 30th wedding anniversary but he wasn’t surprised as his wife over the years has become a bit of a stay at home and Mark had become accustomed to going away on his own.
My wife Paula joined in our conversation expressing how sorry she was for him and how brave he was to go on the cruse alone.
After boarding Paula informed me she would like us to take Mark under our wing as it was such a shame he was on his own. I agreed but insisted we would have to have some time to ourselves and would only keep Mark company if he's not too clingy or a bore!.
That evening after diner, we like other passengers were exploring the ships bars etc when we spotted Mark sitting alone at the bar.Paula took a seat near the window as I got us drinks.
I nodded to Mark and we started chatting. After a little while I realized he was interesting and quite good humoured , so I asked him to join Paula and I for a drink.
Paula greeted us both with a warm smile as we walked over. That evening the three of us talked until the early hours and learned a lot about each other. Mark discovered Paula and I have been married 16 years and have two children, I work as a retail manager and Paula is a home maker, we both like keep fit, love taking holidays, U2 and Monty python.
We learned Mark was 58 years old which surprised us both, had no children, worked as a steel erector all his life which explained his massive hands and why he looked in such good shape , his wife worked for the local council. Like us he enjoys his holidays, he's football mad and loved the Goons and The Beatles.
I couldn't help noticing how he made Paula laugh all night and how tactile he was. Paula usually doesn't like men or women who are too tactile but she seemed pretty comfortable around Mark. My worries of him being too clingy or boring were unfounded and I concluded he would be good company this holiday.
Later that night Paula commented " Mark's quite nice don't you think?."
I replied teasing " Quite nice.... you don't fancy him do you Paula?."
Paula teased me back " I didn't mean it like that........ any way would you be jealous if I did?."
I laughed it off and put her remarks down to the drink, but didn't forget them.
We didn’t see Mark again for a couple of days. It was at the captains dance that I spotted him dancing with another woman. I nudged Paula and nodded over to Mark with his new partner. Paula smiled and told me she knew he wouldn’t be on his own for long.
We found a table and ordered drinks. I had to ask Paula why she didn't think Mark would be on his own for long?. Paula flushed a little and told me she wasn’t surprised as Mark was a hansom man for his age who made women laugh. She also explained that women find men who make them laugh, confidant and attractive.
I couldn't blame the drink this time as Paula had only had one glass of wine.“Do you find Mark attractive?.” I found myself asking thinking Paula would say something like ' He’s ok but not my type.'
“Well I can see how women would.” was her reply.
I went on. “Yeah, but do you?.”
“Yeah…. I suppose, if I was on my own I wouldn’t object to him chatting me up.” She said thoughtfully.
This was a revelation, without a drink or any other stimulants Paula has just said she found Mark attractive.
I had to explore more. “So if you were here say with one of your girlfriends, unattached and Mark asked you for a slow dance you wouldn’t say no.”
“No. I would have a slow dance with Mark.” Paula said without hesitation.
“Yeah…. But at this stage you wouldn't have spoken to him and discovered how amusing he is?.” I enquired.
“I know…. But I would still dance with him.” Paula slowly answered realizing what she has just admitted to.
“So you would have a slow dance just based on his looks?.” Her face reddened instantly as my words registered in her brain.
“Well….. yeah…. He’s got something about him….. he looks confidant and has friendly eyes…… his body isn’t bad either.” She confessed.
“But Paula he must be 20 years older than you.” I exclaimed
“So…. You know what they say about older men?.. They are either more experienced or more grateful.” Was her surprising answer.
"No, I didn’t know that." I said pausing for a moment. I was beginning to find this conversation very revealing.
I never realized Paula thought these thoughts a bout other men. But then again why wouldn’t she. She’s still young enough, attractive and enjoys an active sex life. Perhaps it was me, maybe I’ve just see Paula as the mother of our children, the home maker. Now I was beginning to see her as a women again and I wanted to know more .
So I asked .. “And lets say he offered to buy you a drink after the dancing?.”
Paula looked at me with that 'all right I’ll play along' look and said “I would have a drink with him, why not?.”
Why not? … I thought, yeah why not?. I suppose there are plenty of worse looking men here tonight younger and older, and if she was on her own why not?. I rationalized.
Talk of the devil. At that moment Mark came over to our table and introduced us to Carol his "new friend" as he put it. I invited them to join our table which they did and refreshed our drinks.
Mark explained Carol was travelling with her mother and her husband was back home. Carol looked about 7-8 years older than Mark and seemed a nice women.
As Mark was explaining his new friend to us I looked at him with slightly raised eye brows and cheeky a smile. Mark looked back with a sort of 'please believe me I’m telling the truth' look in his eyes.
Typical women, Paula and Carol went to the ladies room together to talk about Mark no doubt. I also wanted to know what the score was with Mark and Carol?.
I asked “ So Mark. You didn’t waste any time, while the cats away and all that.”
“No it’s not like that. Carol's nice but not my type, she just company” Mark said with honesty.
“What is your type Mark?”. I teased.
“ Well I suppose you could say my wife was when she was younger. You see she was in to every thing then, not like over the last few years. She’s gradually changed so much that she’s no longer the woman I first fell in love with” Was his solemn reply.
I felt sorry for him, I couldn’t imagine Paula and I changing so much, but then again I suppose Mark and his wife never thought it would happen to them either.
No longer teasing I asked Mark " How or what happened?”
After considering his answer and taking another sip from his glass he said “ I don’t know exactly. But how can I best explain?……. Look don’t think me course or anything but for me it started 10 or 12 years ago with the decline of our sex life. I mean we would try all kinds of normal different things then. You know, out door sex, sex in every room in the house and best of all oral.” Mark look up at this point as if thinking back to his good old day.
He continued “ Don’t get me wrong. Sex shouldn’t be every thing in a marriage, but when the sexual relationship between two healthy people suffers so does the other side of things. Over the years there's been a general decline.”
“So what about Carol?” I asked
“ Even though I haven’t had sex for over five years now. Carol looks are too old for me, I can’t find her attractive.” Was his instant reply.
“ Five years . I don’t believe it. I couldn’t last five years Mark, how do you do it?” I asked
“ You have to get used to it I suppose.” Was his sad answer.
“ But don’t you feel randy all the time?. When you were dancing with Carol earlier, even though she’s too old for you didn’t you start getting a little turned on?.” I asked in amazement.
“ Not really. I don’t miss the intercourse as much as the... oral....to be honest, and Carol doesn’t strike me as the kind of women who would like that.” He said sadly.
“ What women here tonight do you think likes giving oral?” I asked looking around the ballroom.
“ There are several women here who would give oral…….. but I've noticed only one who would really love to give oral.” He whispered as he leaned forward.
After studying the women in the ballroom I said “ I give up. I’ve looked closely at all these women and I can’t tell.. tell me which one?” I asked still looking at the women.
“ I don’t know if I should say?…… I might be completely wrong and up set things.” He said again whispering.
“ How can you up set things….. I wont tell any one. Any way I don’t know any of the women.” I told him.
“ Paula!” was all he said.
“ Don’t worry I wont tell Paula” I replied mistaking his answer.
Mark looked me straight in the eyes and said “No I mean Paula!.” And paused before adding “ Paula is the one here tonight I would have picked out as really love giving oral.”
I was stunned and stared back in to his eyes for a few moments before asking “Why Paula?....and how could you tell.” instantly I realized my question had proven him right and given him the confirmation he wanted.
He smiled slightly with the knowledge I had just given him. He whispered “ It was easy…. she has that look….. that smile…. that little pout…..and those eyes.”
I broke our stare. I couldn’t believe he was right. I couldn’t believe that in just a few seconds I had unwittingly confirmed what he suspected. I had in an instant the thoughts of Paula giving oral and it was so erotic.